Biography
Who is Graham Phillips?
Early life and education
Graham Phillips grew up in Nottingham. He attended Perth High School. He earned a dual degree in philosophy and history from the University of Dundee. While studying, he sent freelance articles to The Scotsman and interned at The Guardian. He also performed stand-up comedy using the name Brandon Reed. He shared the stage with Russell Brand and Miles Jupp at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
In 2000, he and his brothers backpacked across the US. They visited the steel mill location from the film Robocop. In 2001, he led a campaign to make David Hasselhoff the university rector. He also created a Hasselhoff comedy show with Benni Esposito. This show moved from Dundee to London's West End.
Civil service career in London
After his studies, Graham moved to London. He spent several years as a civil servant. He worked for the Central Office of Information. His role involved reviewing websites for the government. He also prepared reports for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He later said this work felt mundane.
Journalism in Ukraine
He first went to Dnipropetrovsk in 2009 to support the England football team. He moved to Ukraine in 2010. He initially worked as an English teacher in Kyiv. He started a blog called Brit in Ukraine. The blog covered sex tourism and local politics. In 2012, he joined What's On magazine as a journalist. He interviewed Sergei Baltacha and Chris Rea.
Graham wrote articles for Pravda, the Kyiv Post, and the New Statesman. In 2013, he self-published a book titled Ukraine, Men, Women, Sex, Murder. This book was later removed from sale after legal action by Anna Ziuzina.
War reporting and YouTube
Graham reported from Crimea in 2014 as Russia took control. He wrote an article for Politico magazine. He worked as a stringer for Zvezda and RT. He later launched a YouTube channel. This channel reached 112 million views before its 2023 deletion. He reported from the Donbas frontlines. He sometimes wore Russian combat uniforms. He drove a Range Rover with a Russian Z symbol. Russian authorities gave him several medals for his work.
Sanctions and legal issues
The UK government sanctioned Graham in July 2022. They accused him of publishing propagandist content. He was the first British-born citizen on this list. The European Union and Ukraine also sanctioned him. In October 2024, Russia granted him political asylum. In November 2025, the Metropolitan Police started a war crimes investigation. This relates to the Geneva Conventions and an interview with Aiden Aslin. Graham denied these accusations. He currently lives in Mariupol.
Birthday and age
Graham Phillips was born on January 26, 1979, which makes Graham 47 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Graham shares the date with 68 other famous people.
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